


Bluebird

by Eternally_Exhausted



Series: Uncharted Territory [5]
Category: The LEGO Movie (2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-23 07:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23007655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternally_Exhausted/pseuds/Eternally_Exhausted
Summary: How does an astronaut get to be best friends with a pirate and a chimera princess?Rather like this.
Series: Uncharted Territory [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1485419
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Lost At Sea

_Thank the Man Upstairs for the fog_ , was all Metalbeard could think as they lost sight of their pursuit- who hopefully had lost sight of them as well. The Sea Cow was one of the fastest ships to ever sail the seas, but even she couldn’t outrun Bad Cop’s flying forces for long.

“Captain, where _are_ we?” Skeeter asked, squinting to try to see through the fog. It was so thick, they couldn’t see the bow from where they stood at the wheel.

“I’ll tell ye in a bit,” Metalbeard murmured. “Methinks we lost ‘em, at least for now.”

“ _Land ho!_ ” Mollie shouted.

“How is she actually seeing through this mess…?”

“We must be comin’ out of it now.” Sure enough, after a few more minutes they came through the other side. It was like someone had cut it with a knife, it ended so abruptly. There was no time to relax, though- they had to put as much distance between them and that fog as possible, lest Bad Cop find his way out, and them, again. They sailed on for several hours, hardly daring to speak as though they would be heard somehow, when once again Mollie called down to them.

“Captain! Look!” Metalbeard glanced in the direction she pointed. It was an island- not a very large one- and on its beach was the strangest thing. From a distance, it looked like a coffin had washed ashore.

“Oh that poor soul…” the pirate captain murmured, turning the ship toward the island. The crew didn’t even need to be ordered to prepare the ship, apparently of the same mind as their captain. They got as close to the island as they dared to get before dropping the anchor. Metalbeard picked a handful of crew members to come ashore with him, taking a longboat the rest of the way.

“That be a strange coffin, Cap’n,” Sly muttered. “Awful complicated.”

“Aye,” Metalbeard agreed. “Tis makin’ funny noises…” He pressed his hand to the lid as he leaned in to get a better look, and startled when it gave a sudden hum and hiss, the lid popping loose. He gave it an experimental nudge; it slid aside easily enough. And inside was an equally strange sight.

It was a young man, as far as they could tell, dressed in a protective blue suit, his helmet cracked. The yellow glass of the visor had come loose and slid off at some point. Metalbeard recognized the logo on his suit; he was one of those astronauts from Cape Space. There was a faint beep, and the young man started screaming and thrashing, staring blindly into the sky.

“Sink me, he’s still alive!” Metalbeard yelped, jerking back to avoid being smacked by a flailing limb. It was a few seconds later that he finally calmed, blinking quizzically at the sky before shoving his helmet off and gasping for air. “Easy, lad,” Metalbeard soothed, helping him as he attempted to sit up. The young man looked at him. “Do ye know where ye be?”

The astronaut glanced around, taking in their surroundings then looked back at him. “Pirate’s Cove, by the looks of you guys.” Metalbeard nodded to himself, satisfied. He was coherent; that was a good sign.

“So he be as lost as we are,” Ridge laughed.

“I’m not lost!” Metalbeard bellowed at his belligerent crew, earning a snicker from the astronaut. “I just need a bit to get me bearings!”

“We got chased out here by Bad Cop, and we’ve no idea where we be at,” Ridge continued in explanation.

“Who’s Bad Cop?”

The pirates fell silent. “…Ye don’t know who _Bad Cop_ is?”

“Uhh, duh? I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”

“Lord Business took over the world and outlawed Master Builders. Bad Cop’s his attack dog, he’s been hunting us down.”

“You’re all Master Builders?” The astronaut wrinkled his nose in distaste, and Skeeter rolled his eyes.

“Great, another one of _them_. Just leave him, Captain. Bad Cop will probably find him and pick him up,” he grumbled. Metalbeard looked thoughtful.

“Nay, we be takin’ him with us,” the captain decided. “And bring that fancy coffin with ye!”

“It’s not a coffin, it’s a cryostasis pod,” the astronaut explained, accepting Metalbeard’s offered hand as he climbed out. They stared as he wobbled several inches above the sand. He glanced down, as his eyes went wide. “ _Whoa_. Uh.”

“…I take it ye don’t normally do that?” Metalbeard ventured.

“Not really, no. Crap, how do I get _down??_ ” Skeeter fought down a snicker and reached for the astronaut’s shoulders, gently pushing him down until his feet were firmly planted in the sand again. “That’s kinda freaky…” the astronaut muttered, then grinned. “And kinda cool.”

“Well come on then,” Metalbeard said, gesturing for the astronaut to follow. “What be yer name, lad?”

“Benny!” he chirped. “Benny Blue! I’m the engineer of my crew!” He gasped suddenly, freezing in place. Sly cast him a concerned look, at his horrified expression. “Oh stars, my _crew_ -”

“We only found ye, Benny lad,” Metalbeard told him softly. Benny didn’t look like he was taking that news too well.

“Wait wait wait,” the astronaut said, his breath quickening. “What day is it?”

“It be Thursday,” Metalbeard answered, confused.

“No no, month and day-”

“June second,” Ridge told him, catching on. Benny went pale.

“Oh- oh sh- How long was I in stasis?! Our flight was in _August!_ Don’t tell me I’ve been under for almost a whole _year-!_ ”

The pirate glanced at each other in concern. If he didn’t know Business was in control of the whole world… “…More like almost four, if ye don’t know of Lord Business or Bad Cop,” Metalbeard admitted reluctantly. Benny’s legs gave out at that, dropping him to the ground.

“What… So it’s- it’s Ninety-Two now? Ninety-Three?”

Metalbeard’s heart sank. _Oh, this poor lad…_ “Try Two Thousand and Nine, lad.” Benny wheezed, grabbing his head and hunching over.

“ _Fuck_.”

“Ye be in shock,” Metalbeard said. Not that he could blame Benny. Based on his guesses, he’d been in this ‘stasis’ for a couple _decades_. “Come on, come aboard. We can take ye to Cape Space, to yer hospital there.”

“Yeah. That’s- I think that’s a good idea.” Benny shakily got to his feet, and Metalbeard offered his arm for support. The astronaut nearly fell onto him, grabbing onto his offered arm and clinging to it for dear life. “So uh. What’s your name?”

“Me given name’s Jonas, but most know me as Metalbeard.”

“Oh. Cause of the-” Benny giggled, bordering on hysterical. “The metal beard. Yeah. That’s- that’s pretty cool, actually.” The crew grabbed Benny’s pod, dragging it to the water and tying it to the longboat to float along behind them. As they rowed back to the ship, Benny burrowed into Metalbeard’s side, shaking like a leaf. The captain didn’t comment on it, instead launching into one of his infamous stories to distract the distressed astronaut.

“I got picked up by a pirate crew when I was a wee lad of only four years. A plague had been sweeping the islands, and me parents didn’t wake, so they found me wandering the docks alone and took me in…”

Skeeter, Sly, and Ridge kept silent during the telling. They’d heard it before, of course- several times, even- but Benny really seemed in need of something, _anything_ , else to occupy his mind with. He was barely responsive as they boarded the ship and Metalbeard tugged him toward his own quarters, giving him some space and some privacy to have a breakdown if he so needed. The stasis pod was hauled aboard and stowed in the cargo hold.

“You know, I never would have guessed you were from the islands if you hadn’t said so,” Benny chattered. “Though I guess if you were picked up that young, of _course_ you wouldn’t really sound like it anymore.” He quirked a grin at the pirate captain. “That’s something we kinda have in common.”

“Aye?”

“Yeah. I was born and raised in the Old West.”

“Well shiver me timbers!” Metalbeard laughed. “Never would have pegged ye as a country boy.”

Benny wrinkled his nose at that. “Yeah. I got poked fun at a lot for it, when I first started college. Everyone kept asking me what some _backwater hick_ was doing studying engineering.” He smirked. “I showed them, though. I was _twenty-four_ when I flew my first mission into space! Youngest astronaut ever!”

“Gracious, lad, and ye _look_ even younger.”

Benny snickered. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” He tilted his head as Metalbeard grabbed a blanket and shook it out, moving to drape it around his shoulders. “Dude. You know I don’t need that, right? My suit’s plenty warm as it is.”

“Aye, maybe ye don’t need the warmth, but I’d feel better knowin’ ye be comfortable.” Benny sighed, but didn’t protest any further. He nuzzled into the material; it _was_ very soft.

“Thanks,” he murmured after a moment. “I don’t know what you’re expecting to get from me, for all your help, but I do appreciate it.”

“I’m not expectin’ anything, lad. Just helpin’ a soul in need.”

“You’re really not was I was expecting a Master Builder to be like.”

“Aye? And what were ye expectin’?”

“Well, when I… _left_ … Master Builders were massive _jerks_. If you weren’t one, you were worthless, in their eyes. I worked with a couple, before. They were always sneering down at me for ‘thinking I could be like them without actually being one of them’, or some such nonsense.” Benny rolled his eyes. “I would have loved to see _them_ figure out my cryostasis system.”

“ _Ye_ invented that stasis contraption?”

“Well.” Benny gave him a sheepish grin. “Me and my crew, anyway. I wonder what happened to them…”

“…Rest, lad. Maybe ye can find out when we get ye back to yer own realm.”


	2. Sabotage

“Cap’n, are ye sure about this?”

“I’m not so sure we’ve got the time to be playing Good Samaritans when we’ve got Bad Cop on our trail.”

“He’s not even a Master Builder!”

“Aye, and what does that matter?” Metalbeard snapped. His crew fell silent. “Have we really gotten so arrogant as to leave behind a soul in need? Mayhaps he not be one of us, but that don’t negate his need of our help! Man Upstairs, and ye all wonder why we got outlawed!” There was some sheepish murmuring at that. He eyeballed each of them seriously. “Things will only be gettin’ _worse_ from here. If we help Benny now, he may be willin’ to help us in the future, when _we_ need it most.”

“Well, if ye be _sure_ , Cap’n…”

“Absolutely,” Metalbeard growled back. He wasn’t quite sure where the feeling was coming from, but he knew Benny was going to be _important_ , somehow.

~* *~

Benny startled awake when the lookout started shouting. He hadn’t realized he’d dozed off, but it must not have been for very long. He shrugged off the blanket Metalbeard had wrapped him up in and hurried up onto the deck to see what all the commotion was about. He was dumbfounded when he spotted a dozen police transports- _flying_ police transports- heading right for them. Must be the Bad Cop they’d mentioned earlier. He watched as the pirate crew scrambled to prepare for a fight. He’d never seen such _fear_ on anyone’s face before… Was this guy really _that_ bad?

Benny found himself re-evaluating his opinion on Master Builders. Who knew how much the world, how much _people_ , could have changed in twenty years? Maybe they weren’t such jerks anymore. With the exception of that one remark, these pirates had shown him nothing but kindness, or at least tolerance, since they’d found and revived him. He looked back at the transports; they were closer now. Decision made, he shoved his helmet back on and sprinted across the deck, hopping up onto the railing and launching himself from there, trusting in his newfound ability to float to keep him from falling straight into the water. Somebody behind him was shouting for him to “get back here!” but he paid them no attention, instead using his jetpack to build up speed and aim himself right for the lead transport. Nobody was getting ‘disappeared’ on _his_ watch.

He was set to ram straight through the windshield with his helmet, and though he couldn’t see the man’s eyes, covered as they were by a pair of reflective aviators, he could just make out the ‘ _what the fuck_ ’ Bad Cop was saying as he reacted almost on instinct, dropping the transport out of Benny’s path. Instead the astronaut crashed into the transport that had been behind him. Benny shook his head, a little dazed, and blinked at the robot in the driver’s seat. The robot stared back, apparently just as startled. “Cool,” Benny said, right before tearing the robot’s head off.

With a speed he wasn’t aware he’d possessed, he had the transport torn to pieces within minutes. He yanked the electrical wiring out- more than he’d expected, but it would work in his favor. Another three transports, also driven by robots, were coming to capture him. He used the wiring to trip them up, sending them crashing into each other, and then into the water below.

Four down.

He glanced around, thinking. The remaining transports were split between attacking the Master Builders and dealing with him now. Benny frowned, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. That head-on crash must have affected him worse than he initially thought- his vision was getting _weird_. He could have sworn he saw _numbers_ floating around the transports… He couldn’t stop now though, not when they were still in danger. He latched onto another transport that came for him, making his way to its undercarriage. Another transport was sent crashing into the waves, courtesy of the pirates. Five down. He grinned as a thought came to him. The one he was latched onto must have called for help, as another three came to its aid as Benny worked. Finished with his sabotage, Benny quickly launched himself away as the first transport’s fuel tank exploded, taking the other three with it.

The numbers were back, and in greater force now. He could _see_ how the pieces of the wreckage could fit together. He didn’t even think, just dove down to collect them, hauling as much back to the Sea Cow as he could manage. Only three transports remained, but they didn’t seem willing to give up, and he was wearing out. He had to do something to help them escape.

He was running on instinct now, hands effortlessly shaping propellers out of scrap metal and attaching them to the sides and stern of the ship. He grabbed the rest of the scraps he’d collected and vanished below deck, running wires from the propellers to his collection, and began piecing the remaining parts together to create an engine. After several minutes of work the Sea Cow lurched as the propellers came to life.

Satisfied that they would be safe now, Benny let himself pass out, collapsing to the floor beside his makeshift motor.

~* *~

Metalbeard let out a surprised squawk when the Sea Cow _really_ started to move, cruising along faster than she’d ever sailed. He quickly grabbed the wheel, steering them away from the stunned Super Secret Police as his crew kept up their fire to discourage further pursuit. He didn’t know what Benny had done, but it seemed like they would actually get away without a single loss. Cheers went up as they lost sight of Bad Cop, hopefully for good this time.

They arrived in Cape Space’s bay in seemingly no time, safe and sound. Metalbeard handed the wheel off to Skeeter before stumping below deck in search of their new astronaut friend, who hadn’t made an appearance since their miraculous escape. He found Benny passed out near the motor. There was no way to turn it off, so he dismantled it as carefully as he could manage, sighing in relief when the ship slowed. “Ye be a strange one, Benny Blue,” Metalbeard muttered, gently scooping him up and carrying him back up to the deck. Benny felt light as a feather.

A small security craft sped out to greet them. “State your business here, pirates,” one of the guards called out.

“We found one o’ yers lost at sea,” Metalbeard answered them, lifting Benny so they could see him. “Says his name be Benny Blue. Sound familiar to ye?”

The guard’s eyes went wide, and he said something to his partner. “Are you shitting me?!” they could hear the other guard yelp in shock. “They actually _found_ Engineer Blue?!”

“Guess it does,” Metalbeard murmured in surprise.

The first guard turned back to them. “Consider us your escort,” he told them. “Follow us, we’ll show you where you can dock.”

Well, at least now Benny could get the medical attention he clearly needed, and without fuss.


	3. Space Oddity

Benny was apparently something of a celebrity in Cape Space. He really _was_ the youngest astronaut- a record that, even twenty years later, had yet to be beat- and the inventor of the cryostasis system, just as he’d said. Not only that, but apparently something of a hero, too. The details of that story weren’t particularly clear, but it sounded like he’d saved the lives of his crew when something happened to their ship. Benny would be happy to hear that they had indeed been found, very shortly after splashdown, alive and well.

It also explained the manner of his waking, somewhat.

Metalbeard wondered why there was no mention of Benny’s old crewmates after their initial retrieval, though. Had something else happened to them? He understood that he and his crew weren’t exactly in the need-to-know for that, but he hoped they at least told Benny, he deserved to know.

The residents of Cape Space had a lot of questions for them. Where had they found Benny? _How_ had they found him? Did they still have his stasis pod? What was he like?

There was one other concern Metalbeard had, and after dropping several _very_ specific words, he found who he needed to talk to about it.

Who knew the Director was sympathetic to the Master Builder cause?

“Captain, this doesn’t leave my office.”

“Aye, I understand.”

“Blue’s crew _are_ still alive. Black and Yellow are here, but Red and White had to go into hiding- they started training to become Master Builders shortly after they were all retrieved, I think it may have something to do with the accident. But they never mentioned Blue ever training for it…”

“He didn’t have a very high opinion of us at first, so I doubt it. But I know what I saw- the lad was shapin’ metal with his _bare hands_. Only Master Builders can manipulate matter like that. I’ve no doubt he be one of us, somehow.”

“I’ll send word to Black, she’s the only one who’ll know how to get ahold of Red and White. They’ll want to see him for themselves.”

“I’d like to see the lad as well.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Only relatives are permitted to see him right now.”

“What? But ye can let his _crew_ see him?”

Browning quirked a rueful smile at the captain. “They’re the only _family_ Benny has left.”

~* *~

Benny heaved a bored sigh, toying with one of the few leads still attached to him. There had been so many tests, since he’d been brought to the hospital. _So_ many tests. And they wouldn’t give him the results of any of them. But he hadn’t really received much for treatment, so he supposed he was in decent health. He did get scolded for using his head as a battering ram, though- it was a miracle he didn’t have a concussion. When he brought up the numbers, he only got odd looks. He didn’t bring them up again.

The nurses had told him that his new pirate friends had inquired about him, but no one else had come to see him. His family, he wasn’t surprised about, but his crew… They would have knocked down every door between them, just for a glimpse of him. _If_ they were still alive. He hadn’t been told anything of them one way or the other. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to start crying _again_. He felt like such a baby.

There was a commotion in the hallway, and he wiped at his eyes as his door opened to admit a rather harried doctor. “You have visitors,” he announced flatly before promptly leaving again. Benny tilted his head. There was something familiar about all that racket…

“BENNY!” came a chorus of shouts as a very colorful crowd of four piled through the door, and he lit right up.

 _“Guys!!”_ He gave up trying to stop the tears when they crowded around him, practically smothering him with affection. “You’re all okay?!”

“I can’t believe you’re still alive!” Jenny sobbed as she clinged to him. Benny clinged back just as fervently. “They announced you officially dead when we couldn’t find you after a year…! We started to think you got burned up in atmo with the ship…”

“I asked so many times, but nobody would tell me _anything_ about whether you guys were still alive or not…”

“We’re still here, Bluebird, thanks to you,” Ken assured, giving him a squeeze. “We were drifting for just under a day before they managed to pick us up.”

Benny frowned as he realized something, pulling back to look at them. “Hey, why do you all still look so young?”

“I’m assuming they haven’t said a word to you about _that_ either,” Penelope ventured.

“No,” Benny confirmed. “They’ve put me through an absolute _shit ton_ of tests, but not a single word about what they’re for or what the results are. What’s going on?”

“It’s because of the cryostasis,” Lenny answered. “It worked _too_ well. It’s been twenty years since the accident, and yet we’ve barely aged _one_. And we were only under for about twenty-two hours. Benny… you…”

He drew in a shaky breath. “Just tell me, Lenny.”

“Barring any catastrophic events that would leave you in itty bitty particles, it’s looking like you’ll effectively be immortal. You might even recover lost limbs,” Penelope said. “Your regenerative abilities are off the charts right now.”

Benny gave a wobbly grin as it sank in. “Hey, does that mean I’m the cure for cancer?” he tried to joke.

“You might be,” Penelope answered, all seriousness.

“Oh, God.”

“Hey, it’s not _all_ bad, is it?” Lenny said, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’ll still have us for a good long while.”

“But not forever,” Benny said quietly, miserably. “And what if… What if I meet someone? And fall in love and get married? He’s only gonna have a normal lifespan, I won’t be able to grow old with him, I’ll lose him way too soon…”

“Hey, we don’t know for sure yet,” Lenny soothed. “And even if Penn’s right, they might still wind up finding a cure for us.”

“Yeah right,” Benny huffed, leaning against him. “It was hell trying to figure out how to make the system work in the first place.”

“There’s one other thing, Benny,” Ken said. Benny looked back at him. “You’re, uh. Kind of on Lord Business’ hit list now.”

“What? Why? I’m not a Master Builder!”

“Actually, you are,” Lenny said softly. “Metalbeard told us about what you did to his ship, to help everyone escape. Tell me, have you been seeing anything _weird?_ Floating numbers, maybe?” Benny froze. “You have, haven’t you?”

“How did you…”

“Ken and I are Master Builders now, too. But we had to train for it; how you just up and became one is beyond me.”

“Then why are you guys here? Why aren’t you in hiding?”

“We were,” Ken said. “Soon as Penn and Jenny told us you’d been found, we _had_ to come see you.”

“So that’s what took you all so long…”

“And why no one would tell you anything about us.”

“Nobody here is going to breathe a word about you, either,” Jenny assured. She grinned. “We’re actually here to ‘break you out’, as it were. So they have an alibi.” Benny’s eyes went wide.

“But- but what if I’m not-”

“You’re fine,” Penelope assured. “Like I said. Regenerative abilities. You’re actually cleared to leave now.” She tossed a backpack at him. He caught it and unzipped it; his blue spacesuit was inside. “Get ready Benny, we’re blowing this popsicle stand.”


	4. The Casbah

Benny was surprised to learn that Ken and Lenny had stopped to speak with Metalbeard before even coming to see him in the hospital. They had negotiated their escape with the pirate captain, it seemed. Apparently they had taken quite a liking to him, and decided Benny would be safest with him. Benny wasn’t _too_ terribly offended by their overprotectiveness; he was rather coming to like the pirate himself.

Metalbeard’s crew, on the other hand, were a different story. They weren’t quite sure what to make of this arrangement. Word of his distaste for Master Builders had spread like wildfire through the crew, but then, he’d also saved their lives and displayed traits specific to Master Builders… They didn’t know how to take that.

Benny wasn’t really sure how to take himself, either. Between his newfound Master Builder skills and the revelation of his apparent immortality, it was a lot to wrap his head around. At least he could not think about the immortality thing for now; it would be a while before that started to affect him.

And he had Ken and Lenny with him, too, and Metalbeard seemed to be on his side. They couldn’t go back to the hideout they had been using before; Bad Cop had done a real number on it, shortly after they’d left, apparently taking out his frustration on the Master Builders hiding there. It had been a massive stroke of luck that they’d left when they did.

“Guys, I really don’t see why you’re all so scared of him. I mean, what’s so scary _about_ him? I took out eight of his transports in like, six minutes. Piece of cake.”

“Luck,” Shifty snorted. “He was prepared for _us_ ; he _wasn’t_ prepared for _you_. But you can bet he’ll have a plan in place for the next time he comes across you.”

“You haven’t _really_ seen him in action,” Mollie added. “I heard he actually fought a Master Builder, back when he was still on the normal police force in Bricksburg. Took him on in hand to hand combat and actually managed to cuff him! They couldn’t hold him, of course- once those cuffs were off, there was nothing to stop him from escaping- but the fact that he even made the arrest in the first place is… It’s incredible.”

Benny frowned. “I’m actually supposed to believe this guy was able to take on a _Master Builder_ in unarmed combat? I _know_ how strong you guys are.”

“He’s got a terrifying temper too, very short fuse. Doesn’t hesitate to cause mass destruction when he’s pissed about something. That hideout in Ninjago? Not the first one he’s demolished in one of his tantrums.”

Benny glanced at his friends for confirmation. Ken shrugged. “That’s what all the reports have said. It’s _gone_.”

“So where are we going, then?”

“Not to Pirate’s Cove, I hope,” Ken said, giving the captain a look.

“Nay, lad, I know he be searchin’ for us there.” Ken relaxed, glad they were on the same page.

“Think he’d think to look for us in Bricksburg?” Benny snickered.

“Hidin’ right under Bad Cop’s nose?” Metalbeard stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Tis a bold idea, lad, and it may work- for a short time.”

“A short time is all we’ll need to figure something else out.”

~* *~

It had taken a _lot_ of work to hide the Sea Cow where she wouldn’t be discovered, and then a painstaking trek across the city-realm to a safehouse in the ‘bad’ part of town. The three astronauts and Metalbeard’s crew had changed their usual attire to better blend in as citizens of the city, but it had taken some improvisation to help Metalbeard. The astronauts had rigged up some ‘proper’ prosthetics for him, to hide his peg leg and hook, and the eyepatch and metal beard had to come off. He’d grumbled quite a bit about losing his namesake, for however brief a time. Benny couldn’t stop giggling.

“Is it really that bad…?” the captain asked him.

“It’s not _bad_ , it’s just-” Benny snorted. “I got so used to seeing you with it, you don’t really look like _you_. It’s weird.”

“That’s the point,” Lenny said patiently. “As tall as he is, he stands out too much already. The more unrecognizable he is, the better.” He nudged himself up off the ground to better reach, and tied Metalbeard’s dreadlocks back. “I’m afraid this is going to have to come out too,” he said, reaching for the large, brightly-colored feather at the captain’s temple, and gasped when a hand clamped tightly around his wrist.

“ _Hey!_ ” Ken protested. “What the hell?! It’s just a _feather_ , let him go!” Benny had simply frozen in shock.

“ _Don’t ye touch that,_ ” Metalbeard snarled, tightening his grip. Lenny flinched, but kept his cool.

“Alright, I won’t touch it,” he soothed, and sighed in relief when the tight grip relented.

“Would you mind explaining what _that_ was all about?” Ken growled, reaching for Lenny. The other astronaut snuggled close, rubbing at his wrist.

“Tis me own business.”

“Fair enough,” Lenny agreed, trying to keep the peace. “It’s still going to have to come out though, it’s too big an identifier.” Metalbeard stared him down for a bit, then sighed and reached up to take it off. It got tucked inside his jacket pocket instead, close to his heart.

“All that fuss about a damn _feather_ ,” Ken grumbled.

“It might be a cultural thing, Ken. At any rate, it obviously holds significant meaning for him. Leave him be.”

Calm restored once more, they made their way through the city. There was a handful of other Master Builders there when they arrived. They looked like they’d been there for a while. “Hey, this is our hideout! Go find your own!”

“We won’t be here long,” Benny explained. “Just until we can find another place to lay low for a while.”

Which… wasn’t as easy as they’d hoped. Benny had suggested the Old West, which got nixed immediately. Metalbeard couldn’t handle the thought of being so far from the ocean, surrounded by nothing but desert. Cape Space was Master Builder friendly, but likely to be as thoroughly combed as Pirate’s Cove for the foreseeable future.

“Dino Island?”

“How about Middle Zealand?”

“Viking’s Landing?”

“Pharaoh’s Quest?”

“The Outlands,” Benny tossed out as a joke. That got a round of horrified gasps, and he cackled.

“Ye might as well be askin’ us to hide in the Forest,” Metalbeard grumbled.

“Which probably wouldn’t actually be a bad idea, it’s the _last_ place he’d look for us. If he ever did.” He only got a round of disapproving stares. “Well come on you guys, we gotta figure out _some_ place,” Benny huffed in response.

“Alright, alright…” The captain gave a long-suffering sigh. “Dino Island it be, then.”


	5. Obsession

Benny had been depressed to part ways with Ken and Lenny just several months later. They’d stuck around long enough to make sure he could handle a life on the run, and then returned to Cape Space. Bad Cop had finally given up on searching the realm for him by then, but not on searching for _him_ , so he couldn’t stay with them. He didn’t think he could bear being the reason they got caught. It also would have been too tempting to stick around, when Director Kenning had declared him grounded indefinitely, due to medical reasons. So what if his brain didn’t _quite_ work the way it used to? He was still perfectly capable!

But he stayed aboard the Sea Cow as requested, it being his best chance at evading Bad Cop and capture, and tried to settle into the life of a sailor. They’d picked up some new clothes for him during their brief stay in Cape Space to drop off his friends, something more suitable for heat and sun than his space suit. The pirates had laughed at his tropical tee shirts and khaki shorts, but he honestly _liked_ the ridiculous eighties style too much to give it up so easily. (And at any rate, they later admitted, the look suited him.)

Time went on. Some of Metalbeard’s original crew left, annoyed with their captain’s persistent protection of the spaceman who didn’t quite fit in. Not for lack of trying, of course, but all Benny seemed able to talk about was space, and spaceships, and how much he wanted to be back among the stars. The skies had called to him all his life, and he had worked too hard to get himself up there to have to keep his feet on the ground. It wore on him in ways he couldn’t explain.

And finally, one day, he decided enough was enough. He was a Master Builder now, wasn’t he? There was nothing holding him back from just _making_ his own spaceship and going for a flight. So he dug into the ship’s stores of parts, kept handy for when a Master Builder’s urge to create struck, and found the materials he would need. He hauled everything up onto the deck, and got to work.

He was maybe halfway through when he found himself being bodily hauled away. “Hey!” he protested. “Put me down!”

“Benny, what are ye doin’?” the captain asked. Benny glared up at him petulantly.

“Building a spaceship, what’s it look like?”

“Ye think Bad Cop isn’t watchin’ the skies for unauthorized aircraft?”

“It’s not an _air_ craft, it’s a _space_ craft.”

“Either or. He’s still hellbent on catchin’ ye, lad, and I’m not willin’ to let ye risk yerself like that.”

“But…”

“Besides, it be yer Director’s orders, aye? Tis for yer own good.” Benny scowled up at him. So the captain had won this round, but he wasn’t going to just roll over and give up. He waited several weeks, giving Metalbeard a false sense of security, before trying again.

And getting caught again.

And again.

And again.

He screeched in frustration when Metalbeard pulled him away from a half-finished spaceship for the eleventh time.

“Look, I know what it be like, havin’ to give up the things ye love-”

“No, you don’t!” Benny shouted, thrashing to get free. “You still _have_ your ship, and the seas! You still have what _calls_ you, so why can’t I have the stars?!” The fight seemed to leave him then, and Metalbeard finally set him back down. He sat down hard, sniffling. “Why won’t you let me have the stars…”

Metalbeard stared down at him for a bit, before lowering himself to the deck beside the spaceman. They sat in silence for a while. “I’ve a wife and three children,” the captain said at length. Benny wiped his eyes and glanced up at him. “I love them more than _anything_ in the world, even the sea. And… it’s been more than a year since I’ve last seen them. I can’t go home, for fear Bad Cop and Business will take them, and use them against me. I don’t know when I _will_ see them again. Not ‘til this nightmare ends, at least. If I survive it. This feather?” He tapped the decoration at his temple. “Me Pearl gave it to me. Her people don’t use wedding bands; they give a piece of themselves.” He chuckled at the bemused look on Benny’s face as he tried to figure that one out. “Maybe I’ll tell ye someday lad, but I can’t trust ye with that information just yet.”

Benny huffed at him, and glanced back down at his hands. “…I’m sorry,” he finally murmured after a while.

“I don’t blame ye for bein’ upset, lad. I’ve raged me fair share at how _un_ fair everything be, these days. Have ye looked up?”

Benny gave him a puzzled look, then tilted his head back. “…Oh,” he gasped. “It’s so clear tonight…”

Metalbeard smirked. “Why don’t ye get up, take a peep over the railing.” Benny shoved himself to his feet, looking around, eyes wide. The waters were so still, they were almost a mirror, reflecting the pinpoints of light far above.

“You…”

Metalbeard stood, reaching over to gently squeeze his shoulder. “Ye still have yer stars, lad. Ye just had to look, is all.”

Benny sniffled again. “Thanks,” he murmured. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while…”

“Aye lad, just don’t be up too late.” Metalbeard smirked at him. “I’m still puttin’ ye to work in the morning.” Benny snickered.

~* *~

The spaceship attempts continued after that, though without the desperation that previously accompanied them. It seemed more to be that Master Builder itch that was getting to Benny, giving him the urge to _make_ something. Metalbeard was still vigilant though, just in case.

Crew members continued to come and go with alarming regularity. It wasn’t long before Skeeter was the only member of his original crew left. Loyalty apparently didn’t account for much in the face of a space-obsessed crewmate.

“Sometimes I’m surprised _ye_ still be around,” Metalbeard told Skeeter one day.

“Pfft. Everyone’s got their own methods of coping with this madness, I’m hardly going to let _his_ scare me off. Honestly, most times I wonder if they’re really that annoyed by him, and not just intimidated by all those big, fancy words he throws around.” Metalbeard threw his head back and laughed.


	6. Neobedouin

Benny whined as Metalbeard grabbed him about the waist and hauled him away from attempt #47, squirming in the captain’s hold. “But- spaceship!” he pleaded.

“Not now, lad. Can’t risk ye gettin’ caught by Bad Cop.” It was a familiar argument by now. Benny pouted and slumped in his hold, trying his best to be dead weight, but Metalbeard wasn’t the least bit deterred. Gravity hadn’t had a proper hold on Benny since his awakening. “Besides, I’ve got a surprise for ye.”

“Surprise?” The spaceman perked up again at that, spaceship forgotten for the time being. “What sort of surprise?” Metalbeard released him when he made it back to the helm, and Benny hauled himself up on the railing, swinging his feet.

“Ye hear of Cloud Cuckooland?”

“A few times,” Benny confirmed. “What is it?”

“It be a safe haven for Master Builders, or so they say,” Metalbeard answered. “Tis bein’ built by a princess from a kingdom far across the seas, I hear, someplace untouched by Lord Business’ reign. How she heard of our plight, I couldn’t tell ye, but I be glad for some help. Some lass who goes by ‘Unikitty’, whatever that means.”

“She sounds like fun already,” Benny said, grinning.

“Captain! Rainbow ahead!” the lookout called down.

“Rainbow?? Why’s that important?”

“Tis how ye find Cloud Cuckooland!” Metalbeard crowed as he sailed straight for it. Benny gasped in surprise as the ship sailed straight up the rainbow, flailing as he fell backwards off his perch.

_“Oh!”_

“Quit playin’ around, lad,” Metalbeard told him, looking down at him as he lay sprawled on the deck.

“Oh, but it’s just _so comfy_ down here.”

“That be enough o’ yer sass.” Benny snickered and sat up, looking around.

“Well I get the ‘cloud’ part for sure. You’re certain this is it?”

“Aye. We just have to give the secret knock!” He marched over and rapped his hook against the door, a single loud blow.

“…That’s it? _That’s_ the secret knock?” Benny cackled. “It’s so _simple!_ ”

“Sometimes the simplest solution be the best,” Metalbeard said, though he was also grinning. The door swung open, granting them entrance.

“ _Whoa_ ,” Benny said.

“Aye,” Metalbeard agreed.

“Okay, I get the ‘cuckooland’ part now too, this is just…”

“Too much?”

“A bit.”

“HIIIIII! Welcome to Cloud Cuckooland~!”

Benny yelped, leaping into the air- and staying there. A half-unicorn, half-cat hybrid about the size of a tiger had leapt down right before them, smiling brightly. “Ohh wow, you can float too! You know, we have a couple other guys here that dress like you that can do that-”

“Ken and Lenny are here?!” Benny squealed, grinning. “I haven’t seen them in _forever!_ ”

“Oh, you’re already friends! That’s great!”

“I see why ye be called ‘Unikitty’ now, Princess,” Metalbeard chuckled. “That be yer actual name, or just a nickname?”

“A bit of both!” she chirped. “Names have power, you see, so _everyone_ in the Unikingdom has a second name! What are your names?”

“I be Captain Metalbeard, and this be Benny Blue,” the pirate introduced them. “Tis a pleasure to meet ye, Princess.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be so formal with me! Rick does it all the time and it’s _so annoying_. You’re Master Builders, so you’re my friends now! You can just call me Unikitty! Come on, let me give you the grand tour!” She trotted ahead of them, giving an obviously rehearsed spiel as she showed them around. The place was total anarchy, somewhat surprising for someone raised as royalty, but Benny found it growing on him.

“So how do you keep this place floating?” he asked, craning his neck as he tried to catch a glimpse of everything. There was so much to see, it was almost impossible. Metalbeard pressed his hand to Benny’s back to nudge him along.

“Your friends have actually been a _great_ help with that! They rigged up our Silly Cloud Stabilizers! I guess having experience with spaceships helped a lot! They said having you around would help a lot more though- you’re an engineer?”

At the mention of spaceships, Benny’s attention snapped back to her. He blinked as the question processed a second later. “Oh- yeah! I’m an engineer.”

“What do engineers do?”

Benny snickered. “Well we’re a lot like Master Builders- we design and make stuff. But it takes engineers a lot longer to build stuff ‘cause we don’t have a Master Builder’s matter manipulation ability so we have to wait on all our parts to be fabricated.”

Unikitty paused, giving him a strange look. “You say that as if you’re _not_ a Master Builder.”

“Sorry, it’s- a thing I’m still getting used to, honestly.”

The strange look didn’t go away. “So you’re saying you _didn’t_ train to become one.”

“No, it um… just kind of _happened_.” There were a few murmurs of disapproval from the crew that had Unikitty outright frowning. They fell silent, and she smiled again.

“Well that’s okay! You’re still a Master Builder, no matter how you got to be one!” She still had a weird look in her eyes, though, that promised they’d be having a chat about it later. “Come on, let’s go find your friends!”


	7. The Derelict

It was a couple years before their next encounter- before Benny really _understood_ why Bad Cop was such a terrifying figure. The pirates were too given to exaggeration for him to really trust their judgment, and though Ken had sat him down and explained things in a bit more detail, Benny held onto the fact that he _had_ beaten Bad Cop- surprisingly easily- and escaped unscathed.

Until the raid on Pirate’s Cove two years later.

Many Master Builders had already moved to the haven Princess Unikitty was still working on, but word still hadn’t reached all of them. Rock Island was one of the few holdouts Master Builders had been using up to that point, but it was getting to where there were too many of them hiding there. It was only a matter of time before Bad Cop discovered them.

Benny and Metalbeard were quite pleased with the results of their trip to Cloud Cuckooland. It really was difficult to find, never in the same location twice, as it drifted through the skies disguised as clouds. They had come to the Island to advertise its current whereabouts, and hopefully convince their people to move on. And that was when all hell broke loose.

There had been no warning, no indication whatsoever that a veritable army of Super Secret Police had been right outside Rock Island’s doors until they were smashed in, that damned cop in the lead. “You’re all under arrest,” Bad Cop snarled, and Benny could feel his blood freeze in his veins. The guy was _massive_ , only a couple inches shy of Metalbeard’s own impressive height, and every bit as built as his pirate friend. Benny glanced around the gathering room, but this time there wasn’t really much that would be of any use in causing mass destruction, like he had the last time. Not unless he simply set fire to the place, and he doubted that would do them any favors, when Bad Cop’s forces were all made of metal.

Several of the braver souls rushed to try to take him on hand to hand, and Benny could only stare in awe. The man fought like a thing possessed; the Master Builders, though fairly skilled themselves, didn’t stand a chance. All three were in cuffs within minutes, and handed off to robot escorts.

The bright blue of his suit must have caught Bad Cop’s attention, because the next thing he knew, that scowl was turned onto him. “ _You_ ,” the officer growled, and Benny paled. As Bad Cop stalked toward him, he did the only thing he could think of through the panic- he turned on his jetpack, flying far out of reach.

“Benny!” Metalbeard hollered, and he latched onto the sound, searching for his friend. Master Builders were going down everywhere, and it was hard to spot any familiar faces in the chaos. Finally he spotted the captain, and dropped himself back down into the madness. Bad Cop was bellowing orders, throwing Master Builders and robots alike out of his path as he hunted the astronaut down, all unholy rage. “There be no winning this one,” Metalbeard said once they’d found each other again. “Come on lad, into the tunnels- it be our only chance of escape.”

“But what about the others?”

“There be no hope for them now, we were caught too off-guard.”

“It’s not like you to just give up.”

“Well what do ye suggest we do?! Most of our numbers already be caught and cuffed! _Rule number two, Benny!_ ”

_Always abandon a lost cause._

Benny wanted to protest further, but one glance across the room convinced him to keep his mouth shut. There were more bots than Builders now. With a nod he ducked into the tunnels as directed, Metalbeard only managing to corral a few more before he was forced to put the cleverly disguised door back in place.

~* *~

Benny sat curled up in his hammock, alone in the crews’ quarters. Most of the others had been caught in the raid, and the two others that had made it out were avoiding him at all costs. Not that he could blame them. He was feeling pretty rotten, himself. Somehow it felt like it was _his_ fault that Bad Cop had found them. He should have at least fought, rather than running away like such a _coward_.

 _You saw him fight. You wouldn’t have stood a chance against him, up close like that, no matter how many tricks you had up your sleeve_ , he tried to tell himself, but it wasn’t any consolation.

If only he could Build something other than just spaceships, maybe then he could have done something to help…

Benny swallowed past the lump in his throat and buried his face in his blanket. “Augh, what is _wrong_ with me?!”

“Would you like that listed in order of incidence, or alphabetically?”

Benny jolted, then glowered in Skeeter’s direction. “Oh, fuck off,” he grumbled, and Skeeter snickered. He was something of a friend, being the only member of the crew that _didn’t_ constantly harass Benny for his Master Building skills (or lack thereof), even if Skeeter really grated on his nerves sometimes. His nickname was well-earned. “ _Can_ you even alphabetize?” he added after a moment.

“Pfft, just because I’m not a _nerd_ like you doesn’t mean I don’t know my letters.” He plopped himself into Benny’s hammock, nearly dumping the spaceman out of it. Benny yelped and held on, trying to regain balance. “Seriously, mate, what’s eating you?”

“The usual,” Benny sighed. “That I’m the most worthless Master Builder that ever was. If I could just Build something, _anything_ , other than spaceships… Maybe…”

“You realize there were several dozen _other_ Master Builders who were just as helpless, right?” Skeeter pointed out. “Cap’n’s feeling pretty low right now, too. Bad Cop’s just gotten too good.”

“I guess…”

“Yeah well I _know_.”

“But I took out his troops so _easily_ last time!” Skeeter reeled back at his vehemence. “Why did I chicken out _this_ time?!”

“Ah, so _there’s_ the problem.” Skeeter reached over, patting his shoulder. “You had the advantage of surprise, last time. This time, _he_ did. It happens, you know? And there’s nothing wrong with realizing you’re in over your head. We’re good, but we can’t be _perfect_.” He grinned. “At least, not all the time.” Benny finally cracked a smile at him. “There we go. Keep your chin up, Benny, you can whup him good next time.”


	8. Destiny

That unspoken promise of conversation took a while to actually happen, between being so busy with stabilizing Cloud Cuckooland and rounding up more Master Builders. It had become an all-out race, trying to collect their brethren and lead them to freedom before Bad Cop found them and made sure they were never seen again. He was getting scarily efficient at it.

Unikitty’s home was surprisingly humble in design, though the pink and white and blue made it pretty obvious whose house it was. Benny had long since learned to stop being surprised by the foreign princess. He let himself in- her door was always open. “Unikitty?”

“Over here, Benny!” she chirped in response, and he followed her voice. She had the table set with some brightly colored desserts, of which he only recognized the macarons, and a pitcher of pink lemonade, because _of course_. He grinned. “Have a seat!” He dropped himself on one of the cushy stools. “How are you doing?”

“Pretty well, all things considered,” Benny answered. “So uh. What did you want to talk about?”

“You know, it’s incredibly rare that someone ‘just becomes’ a Master Builder.”

Benny smirked, lacing his fingers together and resting his hands on the table. “Wow, you don’t beat around the bush, do you?” She smiled sweetly back at him. “I _have_ been very curious about that.”

“You don’t remember what happened?”

Benny glanced down at his hands. “ _None_ of us really remembers what happened, the cryostasis kinda messed with our memory. But mine’s the worst; I guess I suffered from oxygen deprivation for a bit before I managed to get into my own pod. And it’s not just that particular flight I’m missing, I’ve lost other things too. But I think I definitely would have remembered training to become a Master Builder. I mean, that’s not something that happens overnight, right?”

“In most cases, you would be right,” someone else answered, and Benny startled. He hadn’t heard anyone else come in.

“Vitruvius!” Unikitty cheered. “I’m so glad you could make it! Have a seat!” Benny frowned as the wizard meandered his way in their direction, before realizing the old man was _blind_.

“Oh,” Benny said, but before he could even think to offer to help, Vitruvius had found his way to a stool and sat down on it.

“Benny, this is Vitruvius! He’s one of the greatest Master Builders to ever live, and the most knowledgeable about Master Building and The Man Upstairs. He’ll be able to explain things better than I can.”

“You flatter me, Princess,” Vitruvius teased. “Benny. You must have so many questions.”

“Always,” Benny said, grinning. “Are you really _the_ Vitruvius? The guy who stood up to Lord Business and tried to stop him from taking the Kragle? _Alone?_ And made the prophecy about The Special?”

“That would be me,” the wizard replied in good humor. “Though it cost me the use of my eyes.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that…”

“Oh don’t be, it’s only a minor hindrance. I can still _See_ plenty.”

Benny tilted his head at that, then shrugged. “So uh. How does someone like _me_ happen?”

“Every so often, our world faces great peril. Some of the threats are obvious- like Lord Business and his plans for the Kragle- and some, only a very few ever know about. I suspect the latter may have been the case when you were chosen.”

“Chosen??”

“When our world _is_ threatened, The Man Upstairs chooses a Champion to stop the evil that would destroy us. Sometimes that Champion is already a Master Builder, and sometimes the Champion _becomes_ one upon being chosen.”

“… _I_ was chosen…?”

“It’s the only explanation I can think of, for you to suddenly become a Master Builder.”

Benny curled in on himself. “I wish I could remember what happened.”

“Perhaps it’s best that you don’t, I can’t imagine such a burden would be pleasant to bear.”

“But- is that…” Benny looked down at his hands. “Am I not a ‘Champion’ anymore? Is that why all I can Build is spaceships, even after being a Master Builder for a couple years? I mean I _love_ building spaceships, it’s my favorite thing in the world! But…”

“But everyone else says you’re not a real Master Builder because that’s all you Build?” Vitruvius guessed.

Benny shrugged. “Yeah.”

“I can’t say whether you’re still a Champion or not,” Vitruvius answered. “There is much about the nature of The Man Upstairs that’s beyond even me. But Champion or not, I believe He _does_ still have a purpose for you. Don’t let the others discourage you, Benny, you belong here as much as any of them.”

The conversation turned to lighter topics after that, and after about an hour, Benny excused himself. He hated to seem rude, but that had been… quite a revelation Vitruvius had given him. That he was once a Champion…

Whoever The Special turned out to be, they would surely be the new Champion. Already, he felt a sort of protectiveness over them. Somehow he doubted it would be any of the Master Builders, no matter _what_ the prophecy said. Not even Vitruvius’ star pupil. Their attitudes had improved since he went under, but really not by much. There was still a lot of arrogance among their numbers.

He left Cloud Cuckooland, needing some peace and quiet, and sat on its doorstep to think. Metalbeard was starting to get Ideas, about raiding Octan Tower and putting an end to Lord Business’ threat then and there. He was currently out seeking a new crew with which to do just that. Benny, on the other hand, had a bad feeling about it. Lord Business was sure to have many failsafes in place, for just such an event. The man was smart, _really_ smart, to have taken over the world so thoroughly as he had. While Master Builders were hated and hunted, its other citizens believed he had brought peace and prosperity.

And honestly, he _had_ , Benny noted, the few times he ventured out in disguise. The world had changed so much since he was last truly a part of it. There was little crime left at all, and most of that was the sort of vandalism to be expected of protesting Master Builders. People seemed to get along for the most part, there were no traffic accidents, no theft, no murder, no harassment, no rules against who you could love… To those inside the law, the world had become a utopia. Though it was honestly ridiculous, the price for _coffee_ anymore. It wasn’t cheap to get it across the borders Business had built up around the realms.

The sun was setting, and that high up into the sky, he had an unimpeded view of the stars. Benny’s heart sank. How he wished he could be up among them again… His fingers itched with the need to Build.

He shook his head, snapping himself out of it before he headed back into Cloud Cuckooland in search of pieces for a spaceship that would never get finished anyway. Attempt #68 would have to wait; back to the topic on hand. He had to find _some_ way to convince Metalbeard the raid was a bad idea. They could come up with countless plans, but Master Builders thought _too_ outside the box. Lord Business would be ready for them. And that was why he thought- he _hoped_ \- that The Special _wouldn’t_ be a Master Builder. Because that _wasn’t_ what they needed.

Whoever that ‘lass or fellow’ turned out to be, Benny vowed that they would have at least _his_ support.


	9. Scupper Shanty

Benny heaved a sigh as he waited, halfway draped over the wheel. It was quiet up there, far too quiet for a crew of Master Builders storming the Tower, and he was getting worried. Sure, they were pretty high up, but- wouldn’t he see _some_ sort of activity? Explosions? Glass breaking, robots being thrown out? Something? He chewed on his lip, gaze glued to the top of the Tower. He knew this was a Bad Idea, he’d tried to tell them as much… He’d almost had Metalbeard convinced, but the rest of the crew talked him back into it.

Benny sighed again, the knots of worry in his stomach growing larger. He felt ashamed that he didn’t really care about the others; the new crew Metalbeard had recruited made their dislike of him obvious enough. They only tolerated the ‘crazy spaceman’ because they wanted in on Metalbeard’s raid. But if he wasn’t worth their time and energy, then they weren’t worth his either. But he hoped to anyone who was listening that Jonas and Skeeter would at least make it back out of there.

He was just debating flying up there to join them and help out when the Tower finally rocked with an explosion. “There it is,” he mumbled, but that gnawing feeling didn’t go away.

Something was wrong. Something was _very_ wrong. He saw something come flying out of the shattered window, a speck too small to see from that distance. But his ears soon told him what it was.

“ _JONAS!!_ ” Benny engaged his jetpack, shooting up to catch the mangled remains of his best friend. The pirate captain was screaming in agony, limbs missing, torso shredded beyond recognition. Oh, God, there was so much blood… Benny let himself drop back down, wasting no time getting below deck. His cryostasis pod was still in the cargo hold, still functioning, last he checked. His heart was pounding in his ears as he gently laid his friend in it, closing the lid and turning it on. It was a while before the muffled screaming faded, and Jonas fell into blissful unconsciousness.

Benny took one look as his suit, and bolted back up onto the deck to lean over the railing, shoving off his helmet before heaving up the contents of his stomach. He couldn’t- couldn’t just sit here- had to get away- Bad Cop would come at any second to finish the job-

Willing his stomach back into obedience, he staggered up to the helm, determined to get the Sea Cow as far away from the Tower as quickly as possible. He took just long enough to wriggle out of his space suit and fling it away, not caring he was just in a t-shirt and boxers, then turned on the propellers to help steer the ship away from the Tower. Strangely, there didn’t seem to be any pursuit, but he wasn’t about to question his luck. He simply got back to Cloud Cuckooland as quickly as he could manage.

~* *~

Unikitty bounced in excitement to see the Sea Cow float up the rainbow to land among the clouds. She galloped out to greet the pirate crew back, but slid to a halt when the only person she saw on deck was Benny, who for some reason wasn’t wearing his space suit.

Something was wrong. Something was _very_ wrong. Willing herself into motion again, she gathered her legs under herself and leapt up onto the ship. “Benny? What’s going on?” She froze when she nearly stepped on the discarded space suit, eyes going wide when she saw all the blood.

“We failed,” the spaceman said, voice shaking. “The crew’s all captured, and Jonas- Jonas is-”

Unikitty went very still. “He’s- he’s not _dead_ , is he…?”

Benny swallowed hard. “Not yet.”

Unikitty’s big eyes immediately welled up with tears. “Oh, no. Oh, _Jonas_ -”

“He’s in my stasis pod for now,” Benny interrupted, and she took a shaky breath. That would buy them some time.

“We have to get to work,” the princess said, steeling herself in determination. “There must be _something_ we can do for him!”

“I- I had some ideas, on the way here,” Benny admitted. “You could use the ship for parts, build him a new body- I think he’ll like that-”

“Just me?” Unikitty stared him down in challenge. “Aren’t _you_ a Master Builder, too?”

Benny shifted uncomfortably. “’Kitty, you know what everyone else says-”

“I don’t give a _fig_ what everyone else says.”

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I can only Build spaceships! I don’t wanna mess this up for him!”

“You’re helping me, and that’s final.”

In the end, Benny _had_ helped, if only because he was the only one who knew his cryostasis system inside and out. It made him sick to his stomach, knowing that Metalbeard would be dependent upon it for the rest of his life. They’d found a vet to remove the remaining damaged organs, and Unikitty healed him up to the best of her ability before they placed him inside what amounted to a mobile life support unit.

And then they waited for him to wake up.

It was several days before he opened his eyes again, and Unikitty cried in relief when he did. It had been so hard for her to stay positive, when faced with the possible death of a friend. But her persistent optimism had paid off, and he was still alive, and conscious now. “What happened…?” he asked groggily.

“I told you that raid was a bad idea,” Benny told him, barely refraining from snapping at him. “You’re the only one who survived, and just barely at that!”

“Nay, lad,” Metalbeard said after a moment. “Not the only one who survived. Just the only one who _escaped_.”

“Jonas??” Unikitty pressed.

“The other Master Builders aren’t dead,” he told them, voice tinged with some emotion Benny couldn’t place. Possibly even several. “They’re trapped.”

“…I think you better tell us everything,” Benny said. And Metalbeard did. He told them about the hall of eerie relics, and Business’ security measures, and most of all, the Think Tank. Benny shuddered. That was… almost a fate _worse_ than death, for a Master Builder. Unikitty’s eyes were wide, her ears flat against her skull and her tail poofed out as she tried to hide her trembling. He reached over, gently stroking her fur. “Hey, it’s okay,” he tried to soothe her. “Maybe the raid wasn’t a _total_ bust- now we’ve got a better idea of what we’re up against.”

“If ye be thinkin’ of raidin’ that Tower again, Benny, ye be on yer own,” Metalbeard sighed. “Tis a fool’s errand, goin’ back.”

“It was a fool’s errand going in the first place. I _tried_ to tell you that.”

“Aye, lad, ye did,” Metalbeard admitted quietly. “And now I’ve paid for not listenin’.”

“Oh, Jonas,” Unikitty sniffled, nuzzling his cheek. “I’m so sorry! We did our best…” He looked around at himself, then tried getting to his new feet. He turned this way and that, testing his balance, his control, his agility, his dexterity, and nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied.

“Ye did well, Princess. Tis a fine piece of work. Me feather, did it…?”

“It’s still there,” Benny assured. “A little singed at the tip, but otherwise whole.” Metalbeard heaved a sigh in relief. Benny grinned at him. “You ever gonna tell us how that’s ‘a piece of her’, or are we just going to have to spend the rest of our lives wondering?”

“Someday,” Metalbeard promised with a chuckle. “When ye be ready.” Benny stuck his tongue out at him.


	10. Land of Confusion

No one attempted to raid the Tower again.

No one else ever sailed with Metalbeard again after that, either, though Benny was of the opinion that it was more his reluctance to find a new crew, after he’d led his previous one to their doom. So he set about helping his friend any way he could, implementing automated functions that could replace the work of a full crew. It took his mind off the need to build spaceships, at least for a while. Within six months, and with continual feedback from the captain, they finally had the Sea Cow fully rigged to sail without help from a single soul. Metalbeard seemed happy enough with it, and spent more and more time away at sea. Benny and Unikitty made no mention of it, and never harassed him to visit more often. He had to deal with the consequences in his own way.

Another year and a half passed, with little to no word from the outside world. By now, all but a handful of Master Builders resided in Cloud Cuckooland. The few holdouts were Ken and Lenny, Metalbeard, Batman, Vitruvius, and his last pupil whose name Benny could never keep track of, she changed it so often. Snazzypants, maybe. Last he heard, she was hunting down the Piece of Resistance. There were so few of them left now, they couldn’t afford to wait for it to surface on its own.

Benny himself had been confined to Cloud Cuckooland within the last few months; his need to Build spaceships had gotten to be too overwhelming, and he so often lost himself in that obsession. At least there, if he _did_ manage to finish one before someone caught him, it would be where the Super Secret Police wouldn’t spot it.

And then came the email. The Piece of Resistance had been found. Vitruvius had The Special with him, and they were on their way to Cloud Cuckooland to try to come up with a plan. Whatever they decided to do, it would be their final stand. Their do-or-die moment.

Benny hoped it involved spaceships.

He waited in the Dome of Gathering (which Unikitty had affectionately nicknamed the ‘Dog’, and explained once its appearance had been inspired by her little brother), occasionally being tugged back down by either Ken or Lenny. He draped himself over Ken. “How long do you think it’ll take them to get here?” he complained. Ken reached up, raking gloved fingers through Benny’s curls before nudging his broken helmet back at him. Benny pulled it on without a word.

“Not much longer, I hope,” he answered.

“I got a spaceship to finish…”

“We really should have taken him with us to the moon base,” Lenny whispered, leaning close to Ken. “This is getting _bad_.”

“You know we can’t, Benny’s grounded,” Ken whispered back. “The rules are in place for a reason. What if he got away from us, and got lost in space?” Lenny sighed.

“Yeah, but- what number did Unikitty say he’s on now? One-thirty-two, or so? He’s going to completely flip out if he doesn’t get to finish a spaceship _soon_.”

Finally, the last of the Master Builders trickled in, followed by Batman, Vitruvius, his student, and an unfamiliar young man Benny could only guess was The Special. Slowly, a grin stretched across his face.

Unfamiliar.

That meant _not a Master Builder_.

Oh, this was going to be a _blast_.


End file.
